Satan City, One week earlier: The night was cold and dark as the winter months set in. The air was silent and not a peep was heard from insects or birds. Suddenly, the sky was pierced by a streak of light and the quiet was cut by a loud scream.
“INCOMING!!!” The shriveled projectile fell out of the stratosphere and impacted on the hard concrete. The ground exploded and a large crater was dug in the Earth.
Quiet settled again for a few minutes until a groan broke it. A small hand reached over the lip of the crater. The first was quickly followed by a second. Both hands were shriveled and scorched. A head, an old, bald one with a thin mustache, followed the hands.
The old man that could not have been more than two foot tall dragged himself out of the indention in the Earth. He coughed a couple of times and then rolled over on his back. He took a ragged intake of breath. “I’ll…get…you…Gohan…” He swore to the heavens. The words were quiet, but they carried a conviction that would have staggered any passersby.
At that same moment at the Neko Hanten, Cologne stiffened up from the pot of ramen she was preparing.
“What is it, Great-Grandmother?” A concerned Shampoo asked.
Cologne’s features hardened. “I sense a presence that I haven’t felt since…” She shook her head. “It can’t be, he should still be buried where his fool students left him.” She mumbled under her breath.
“Who?”
“Don’t concern yourself child, just finish cleaning the restaurant. We’ll investigate in the morning.”
Satan City, Present day: Videl sat up at the knock to her door. She knew who it was, and she just had a feeling inside that she would be hearing that knock for some time to come. She smiled and opened her mouth to speak. “Coming, Ranma!” She hopped out of bed and jumped into her training clothes. She swung open the door, grabbed his face, and hauled him in for a passionate kiss. “Good morning, Rannchan!”
Ranma was still dazed from the kiss. She had been saying good morning to him in this manner for the past week, and he still wasn’t used to it. “Uh, good morning.” He staggered a bit when she released her hold of him.
A sweet and loving smile spread across her face. He was so cute when he was put off balance. Her feelings for him had grown stronger and stronger, and, when he had asked her to marry him, she knew that no one would have a higher place in her heart. Granted their troubles were far from over, but at least now she was on even footing with Nabiki and Shampoo. She had an honor bond with him, as well as one forged of love. “Come on, sleepy-head, let’s get training!” She swept past him and strode down the hallway to the family’s personal gym.
Ranma shook his head and followed. He couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she was.
“I’ve got you, you daughter stealer!” A hand shot out of the darkness and reached for Ranma’s shoulder.
The pigtailed martial artist sidestepped without looking who it was and grabbed the outstretched hand. With a quick twist of a wrist, a large hairy body was slammed into the opposite wall upside-down. “Good morning, Mr. Satan. Have a nice day.” He smirked an arrogant grin and followed Videl toward the gymnasium.
Mr. Satan grumbled as he slid down the wall. He was supposed to be the greatest martial artist in the world, and he couldn’t even deal with one punk kid. “I’ll get you, Saotome Ranma. I’ll make sure you never bother my daughter again.”
Later that morning, Nabiki went through her morning routine and stopped by the gym where Videl and Ranma were finishing up their morning practice. She knew that her chances with Ranma were slipping away, but she couldn’t find it in herself to feel any anger toward either one of them. She had known that she was an intruder into their lives. They had been practically joined at the hip long before she had come to Satan City. She shook her head in resignation. This was a poor fight to pick. Even if I had been able to get rid of the Chinese floozy, I’d still have to deal with Videl. Ranma doesn’t even look at me as more than an annoyance. How could I make him love me with Videl around? He’s so stubborn that any attempts to get him away from her using our families’ agreement would only serve to distance him further. Things only got worse after he proposed to Videl. He’s bound to her stronger than he is to me. I did ask for veto power over my engagement, I guess the most honorable thing to do would be to use that. I’ve made plenty of yen here, so my stay hasn’t been a complete waste; and the stay in this luxury home has been a nice vacation from Kuno and the other Nerima idiots. I guess it’s time to try and save some face before I lose any more respect for myself. After all, I can’t stay here fawning over someone who just barely knows I exist.
The pair finished their workout as Ranma knocked Videl to the floor one last time. They both smiled and laughed together in a manner that you knew that they were very close companions. The gentle way that Ranma used his muscular frame to lift Videl up to her feet only made Nabiki more certain of her decision.
Ranma and Videl seemed to talk about nothing as they walked along with each other. They stopped as if noticing Nabiki for the first time. “Good morning, Nabiki.” Ranma’s voice was one of surprise. He didn’t expect to see her there this early. “You ready for school already?”
Nabiki nodded her head as if coming to a decision. “No. Actually, I’m going to be going back to Nerima this afternoon.”
“You’ll be missed.” Videl spoke glibly.
The middle Tendou daughter gave the girl a glare. “Try not to sound so smug when you say that, and maybe someone will believe you.”
Ranma scratched the back of his head. He didn’t know what to make of this. Was this just another attempt to break him and Videl up? Or was she really leaving? I guess the only thing I can do is ask. “So, um, does this mean that you’re giving up on the engagement?”
A resigned sigh escaped Nabiki’s lips. “Yes. I’m dissolving the engagement between our families. Our fathers gave me exclusive rights to abolish the agreement if I so choose. You’re free, Ranma…of me at least. But I wouldn’t celebrate yet; you still have the Amazons to deal with. I think that they’re going to be a little more tenacious than me in this battle.”
Videl absently hummed the tune to “Love is a Battlefield”.
Ranma shook his head. “Well, at least there’s one last thing I have to worry about.” He held his hand out. “Friends?”
Nabiki hesitantly took his hand and nodded her head. “Sure. Friends.” Kami knows we won’t be anything more.
“Let’s get ready for School, Rannchan.” Videl took him by the arm and led him away. She wave back over her shoulder. “So long, Nabiki. Farewell. Auf Wiedersehen. Don’t let the door hit you in the…”
“That’s enough!” Nabiki shouted.
“Bye-eee!” Videl’s voice chimed from around the corner with a teasing-sarcastic tone.
“I’m glad I could make someone happy today.” Nabiki replied in her own sarcastic voice.
About an hour later, Ranma and Videl were leaping their way to school. They shared a smile, as they knew that they had something to be happy about. Nothing could bring down their spirits after such an eventful morning.
“SWEETO!!!”
Okay, almost nothing…
“What a haul! What a haul!”
Ranma turned at the sound of the voice. “It can’t be?”
The raven-haired girl turned and scowled. “Happosai.”
The pigtailed martial artist turned to her. “You know him?”
“He tried to fondle me in Nerima. That psycho with the blue-black hair accused me of working with him.” Anger seemed to seep from Videl’s aura.
“Well, I guess this qualifies as crime fighting, right?” Ranma smirked.
“You got it!” She matched his cocky grin.
“What’s that he’s carrying anyways? It’s bigger than he is.”
“Whatever it is, it can’t be good.”
Happosai was bouncing along his merry way. It had been so long since he had been able liberate so many lovelies. That damned boy in Nerima had kept him from it, and now that he had arrived at this unsuspecting town, he had all the underwear he could carry.
“Hold it right there, pervert.” A crack of thunder was heard over the horizon.
He stopped at the sound of the angry female voice. He turned to see the girl that had been fighting with one of Soun’s daughters at Furinkan High School. “Hello, cutie!” He dropped his bag and launched himself at Videl’s breasts.
Before he could land, an elbow slammed into his head. A crack of thunder and the darkening of the day accentuated the impact he made on the hard roof.
“Look old man. Why don’t you leave town before I make you?” Ranma crossed his arms and glared at the old man.
Happosai stood and crossed his arms. “Now how will you do that, hmmm?”
“Like this! Kiai!” Ranma launched into a deadly punch and kick combo.
The old man managed to elude the blows easily. “You couldn’t hit me with my own martial art!” He caught one of Ranma’s punches with his pipe, and the boy spun end over end toward the edge of the roof.
The pigtailed martial artist managed to regain his footing before sliding off the edge of the roof. “Well, then I guess I’ll have to try something else. Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!” He rained a flurry of punches down on the old man.
While the men battled, Videl’s curiosity got the best of her. She HAD to know what the old man was hauling around in that huge bag. She was shocked and dismayed at the contents. “He’s hauling around a sack of underwear?!?!”
The old man turned at the voice and his eyes widened. “My pretties!”
“An opening!” Ranma slammed the grandmaster to the rooftop.
Happosai jumped up and snatched the bag from Videl’s hands. “They’re mine!”
About that time, the sky opened up and rain came pouring from the sky. Happosai watched in stunned amazement as Ranma transformed into a short redhead. “So you’ve been to Jusenkyo with your stupid father? I guess I should have expected that Genma wouldn’t go anywhere alone.”
Ranma-Chan pulled some loose hairs out of her face and scowled. “Well, it’s bad news for you because I just got a LOT faster.”
The old master smirked. “You’ll have to improve greater than just becoming smaller, boy!”
Enraged at being called a boy in the same tone that her father had used to belittle her, the redhead growled and charged in. “I’ll get you, you old pervert!” She once again started trying to pummel the old man.
“But one good thing came from Genma’s foolishness. SWEETO!!!”
The redhead stopped when she felt a new growth on her chest. She looked down and saw Happosai latched onto and nuzzling her breasts. “YOU PERVERT!!!”
Time seemed to slow down as her fist sank downward. Happosai jumped off to the side. Ranma-Chan’s fist caught the bag that the old man was carrying. The loud rip pierced the stormy morning. As the bag was opening a gust of wind roared through and scattered all the lacy underthings through the air.
“NOOOOO!!!!!” Happosai wailed as his eyes grew big and tears came to his eyes.
“Serves you right, you perverted old letch.” Ranma-Chan smirked smugly and crossed her arms.
“You…You…You’ll pay for what you’ve done! I’ll teach you some respect!” Happosai’s face twisted in anger.
“And how will you do that?”
“Like this!” The old man charged forward. Ranma punched to intercept him. Happosai used his free hand to pivot off the extended fist and tumble behind Ranma’s back. In mid turn, his pipe struck out and hit Ranma-Chan in between her shoulder blades.
“What the?” Was all Ranma-Chan could get out before she slumped to the rooftop. Her breathing became labored.
“Ranma!!!” Videl shouted as she rushed to the redhead’s side. “What’s wrong?”
“My…shirt…” She managed to get out between halting breaths.
Videl quickly stripped her of her weighted shirt, bracers, and shoes. The articles made a clanking sound as they hit the rooftop. Ranma-Chan’s breathing became regular again.
Happosai’s eyebrow went up. “Who taught you the Kame Sennin training?”
Videl turned on him. Her aura flashed bright red. “WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!?!” She demanded.
“Moxibustion weakness technique.
It’s been a long time Happy.”
They turned to see Cologne balanced atop her cane on the far side of
the roof.
“Cologne. How lovely to see you
again.” Happosai smirked.
“It’s good to see you again.
Now let’s talk stolen artifacts…”
Happosai glanced at his bare arm.
“Will you look at the time?!
I’ve got to get going!” He leapt
away like his pants were on fire.
Cologne hopped over to Ranma’s side.
“You’ve made a powerful enemy tonight, Son-In-Law.”
Ranma-Chan slowly stood up.
“How dangerous could he be? And
what did you mean moxibustion weakness technique?”
Cologne’s eyes narrowed. “Hit
me as hard as you can. I’m not going to
move a muscle.”
The redhead just smirked.
“Okay. You asked for it.” She pulled back and pulled her fist around
for an enormous haymaker. The fist
struck the Amazon elder and stopped.
The old ghoul hadn’t moved an inch.
“What the?”
“You’re as weak as a kitten.
That point he hit sapped all of your strength, that’s why you couldn’t
breath with your weighted clothes on.”
Cologne commented in a matter-of-fact voice.
“But you can cure me, right?”
Ranma asked hopefully.
The old woman shook her head.
“I would if I could, but a long time ago Happosai stole the scroll with
the technique and the cure. He stole
those along with several other artifacts from the Amazon village. I could help you…”
“No way!” Ranma-Chan shouted. “You ain’t using this as an excuse to get me
to marry Shampoo!”
“There are other things on my mind now besides that, Son-In-Law.” She narrowed her eyes.
“Yeah, right. Come on, Videl,
let’s go.” The redhead turned and leapt
toward the next building, but only got a foot out before plummeting.
“Rannchan!” Videl jumped off
the building and caught him before he could splatter on the pavement. “Don’t do that! We’ve got to get your strength back up before you can do any of
that!” She sighed and set the redhead
back on her feet. “Let’s just walk
home. We can start training you back
up. I think school can wait a bit.”
A few days later, a visitor dropped by the Satan estate. The butler recognized the young woman and
showed her to the gymnasium where Ranma and Videl were working out, or
attempting anyway. The visitor couldn’t
believe what she was seeing; Ranma was on a weight bench trying to lift a
five-pound weight with Videl spotting him with one finger. The unbelievable part was that Ranma was
straining with the effort. “What’s
going on here?”
The pair looked up.
“Ucchan!” They both shouted at
once. Videl ran to hug her friend,
leaving Ranma with the weight, which quickly succumbed to gravity.
“Ooooowwwww!!!!” Ranma shouted
as the weight rolled off his foot.
Videl put her hand over her mouth.
“Oh no! I’m so sorry!”
Ukyou gave the pigtailed martial artist a questioning glance. “What’s wrong, Ranchan? I’ve seen you take harder hits than a five
pound dumbbell.”
Ranma managed to pull his foot out from under the offending
weight. “Happosai hit me with a
pressure point that stole my strength.
Now I’m trying to train back up, but I can’t seem to gain anything!”
The okonomiyaki chef shook her head.
“That’s pretty bad, even for Happosai.”
“You know him?” A surprised
Videl asked.
Ukyou crossed her arms.
“Unfortunately he was practically a roommate while I was staying in
Nerima. His attempts to fondle me
forced me to wear my boy clothes again.”
“I noticed your not wearing one of the outfits I bought you.” Videl smirked. “So how did it go with your ‘hunk’?”
The chef’s shoulders fell. “He
picked Akane over me. He still wants me
to be a friend, but I just had to get away for a while.”
“Akane?” Videl asked.
“Yeah, Nabiki’s little sister.
I don’t know why he picked her over me.
Maybe it’s the hair or maybe he likes girls with tempers. I don’t know.” Ukyou shrugged her shoulders.
Ranma scratched his head. “Hey,
that sounds familiar. She doesn’t have
a tendency to call any boy she sees a pervert, does she?”
“Actually, she does.”
Videl and Ranma’s eyes went wide.
“So that’s who that little witch was.”
Videl muttered. “I knew I didn’t
like her for some reason. Being related
to Nabiki and all…”
Ranma shook his head. Somehow
he knew that if his pops had not stopped in Satan City on the way to Nerima,
that he would have wound up engaged to that violent psycho. “Well, if he’s dumb enough to go for that
woman, then I think you could do much better.
Who was this guy anyway?”
Ukyou got a far away look in her eyes.
“His name is Gohan. He’s really
tall and he wears his hair in this cool spiky hairdo that appears to do it
naturally.”
The pigtailed boy stiffened.
“You mean the guy hiding more power in his pinky than in my entire
body.”
The chestnut-haired girl’s eyes lit up in surprise. “How did you know?”
“We made a trip to Nerima looking for the Spring of Drowned Boy, and I
ran into a guy who made me…nervous.
Even though he wasn’t concentrating or anything, I could tell he was
hiding a lot of power.”
“Wow! Your ki senses must be a
lot better than what he trained me and Akane to be.”
Ranma rushed to her and grabbed her shoulders. “He trained you? You’ve gotta show me everything you learned!”
“Okay!” Ukyou pushed him away
lightly. He went flying across the
room. Her eyes went wide again. “Maybe you should wait until you’ve got your
strength back. Most of his techniques
deal with strength.” She turned to
Videl. “So what do you plan to do about
Happosai?”
Videl sighed. “I don’t
know. Cologne keeps trying to say
she’ll help Ranma, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let her get Shampoo a
foot in the door. I’ve tried to keep
the door firmly closed in her face.”
“Well, what if I told you that it wouldn’t mean you’d have to do
anything for Shampoo to get my help.”
They turned to see the old matriarch balanced atop her staff.
“Who’s the troll?” Ukyou asked,
and, before she could do anything else, she was smacked on the side of the head
with Cologne’s wooden staff. “Hey! What’s the big idea?!”
“Have some respect for your elders, child.” Cologne was back on the other side of the room.
Ukyou rubbed the bump on her head.
“That’s the same thing Happosai keeps saying.”
“There are exceptions to the rule.”
By that time Ranma had managed to regain his feet. “You said you’d help me, and I don’t have to
do anything for Shampoo?”
“You’ve got it...unless you’re not ‘man’ enough. Come to think of it, you’re weaker than a
girl right now. Maybe you should just
give up.”
The repeated insults served to make steam seem to come off Ranma’s
head. He took a swing at the
matriarch. “I am a MAN, you old
GHOUL!!!”
“Then you’ll have to prove it.
Follow me, weak boy!” She
bounded down the hall toward the exit with Ranma hot on her heels.
Ukyou and Videl looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. They turned and followed after. They followed the path that Ranma and
Cologne had taken. The trail led
outside to the courtyard behind the Satan mansion. Just as they burst through the door, they saw an enormous twister
form in the middle of the backyard.
The winds stopped and a haggard Ranma fell from the sky in the middle
of a smoking crater. Cologne peeked
over the side. “So what did you think
about that, Son-In-Law?”
Ranma slowly got to his feet.
He pulled himself out of the pit and found a loose branch on the
grounds. “I think that it went like
this.” He began to draw a spiral on the
ground.
Cologne’s eyes lit up in delight.
“Very observant, Son-In-Law.
You’ll make a fine Amazon.”
Ranma scowled at this.
Videl and Ukyou ran up at that point.
Videl looked at the destruction in the backyard. “What happened here?”
“A ancient technique of the Chinese Amazons, The Hiryu Shoten Ha!”
“Rising Dragon Hurricane?” Ukyou asked.
“Close enough. The technique uses an opponent’s hot ki against your cold ki. The difference in temperatures and air pressure causes the hurricane. Now let’s get Son-In-Law into his training gear.”
In short order, Ranma was in a suit that almost completely restricted his movement. The rig was meant to keep the student from striking back during training.
Cologne cleared her throat to get Ranma’s attention. “Now remember. You have to clear yourself of all emotion and anger. You have to be completely calm, cool, and collected. Now, we’re going to need a participant from the peanut gallery to assist in his training.”
Videl and Ukyou shook their heads. “Don’t look at me!” They both yelled at once.
The Amazon shook her head. “Now where are we going to find someone dumb enough to help Ranma with his training?” She comments idly.
Ranma snorted. “Where’s Ryoga when you need him?” He grumbled. Suddenly he had a flash of inspiration. “Hey, Ukyou! Go get Mr. Satan! Tell him I got something to show him.”
Ukyou just shrugged and ran to the house.
“You think he’ll fall for it? How do you plan on getting him angry?” Videl questioned him.
Ranma strode up beside her and put his arm, stiffly because of the outfit, across her lower back. “Just watch.”
A couple minutes later, Ukyou emerged with an annoyed, but not quite
mad, Mr.Satan. “What’s this all
about? What do YOU have to show
ME?” He asked incredulously.
“This!” Ranma swung Videl
around for a passionate kiss.
“GAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!” Now Satan
was ticked!
Ranma strolled back and dodged all the furious blows that older man
threw. The teenager started his
spiral. When he came to the center he
threw up his arm like an uppercut and yelled, “Hiryu Shoten Ha!”
A hurricane force wind swept through the yard, picking up loose debris
and Mr. Satan. The old man rode the
twister a while as the others clung desperately to whatever they could. After a few minutes, the winds died and a
bedraggled Mr. Satan dropped to the ground, looking like he had been run over
by a truck. His eyes were spiraling as
his tongue hung half out.
“I think I’m ready to go find an old pervert.” Ranma smirked his trademark cocky grin.”
Cologne, Videl, and Ukyou could only stand there in shock as Ranma
bounded toward the city.
Happosai was once again hopping across the rooftops with a large load
of lacy darlings. He couldn’t believe
that dealing with Genma’s son would be so easy. Good thing he still had that scroll for the moxibustion weakness
technique. He’d have to keep it close
by in case Gohan ever showed up.
“Yo, old pervert! Let’s try
that fight again!” Came the annoying
boy from the side.
The old master shook his head.
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t bring myself to fight such a weak
opponent. It goes against he principles
of martial arts to attack the helpless.”
“HELPLESS?!?!?!” Ranma shouted,
but quickly brought himself back under control. “Come on, you old letch.
I know you want another piece of me.”
“What could fighting such a weak kitten like yourself gain me?” He shook his head. “You poor fool. You
actually think you stand a chance.” He
tsked and continued on his way.
I know! Ranma dashed forward and grabbed Happosai’s bag, but lacked the strength to loosen it from the old man’s grasp.
“What is that? A fly on my back?” He whipped the bag around and threw Ranma against a wall, splattering him like an egg.
The pigtailed martial artist slowly got back to his feet. “Come on, you useless, old, perverted, raisin!!!”
Happosai shook his head and sighed. “A proud martial artist reduced to name calling. It’s almost enough to touch my heart…”
Ranma’s nerves were slowly running out.
“How about some help, Rannchan?” Half a dozen mini-spatulas flew past Ranma and sliced open Happosai’s bag. Ranma quickly ran over and kicked the remains of the bag sending panties and bras flying into the wind.
“My…My…lacy darlings!!!” Happosai yelled.
“Serves you right, you old letch.” Ranma crossed his arms and grinned in satisfaction.
“First I’ll deal with that meddling chef, and then I’ll finish you, boy!” He charged forward to where Ukyou was standing with a smug look on her face. He stumbled halfway there and rolled end-over-end. He turned to see a smirking Ranma with his leg stuck out in the road.
“Oops. Did I do that? I’m SOOO sorry.” His voice indicated that he was in no way, shape, or form regretful for his actions.
“You’re just as useless as your father!”
“No one can be that useless…Maybe you…” Ranma still had that infuriating grin on his face.
“As much as I hate weaklings…” Happosai drew himself up to his full height and called upon his massive aura. “You’ve just got a promotion on my to kill list!”
Ranma raised his hand with a ‘come hither’ motion. “Just bring it.”
The old master yelled in fury and charged in. Ranma ducked left and right, all the while leading the master to a more open area.
“Stop dodging and take your beating like a man! You would be a coward just like your father!” Happosai yelled as he kept trying to hit the dodging Ranma.
The pigtailed martial artist weathered the insults, as he knew that his moment of victory was approaching.
“PREPARE TO DIE SAOTOME!!!”
Great. Ranma thought with a sarcastic tone. Now Ryoga shows up…What else could go wrong.
“Hey! I want a piece of him too!”
Shayapuna. Ranma smirked. Okay, if they all want to play…
He had to
step up his evasion skills as three opponents assailed him at once. He rolled out and started the spiral. He smiled as they were all playing into his
hands. Only one more thing to do. “Hiryu
Shoten Ha!” He threw up his fist and the winds came, sucking up his three
opponents and throwing them around like rag dolls.
“Ranma! The scroll!” Ukyou
pointed with one arm, as she held onto a telephone poll with her other.
He followed where the chef was
pointing and saw the paper. In a brief
glimpse he saw a man with a spot located between his shoulder blades. “That has to have my cure on it!”
“I’ve got it!” Videl’s voice came from the side as she
leapt into the hurricane.
“VIDEL!” Ranma yelled as he jumped in afterward.
Ukyou took one look into the
strengthening winds. “Ain’t no way I’m
going in there.”
Inside the storm, Videl swam in the
stream. Ranma tried desperately to
reach her, but lacked the strength to make headway. In the meantime, trouble had managed to catch up to him. An arm wrapped around his waist and Ryoga’s
fist crashed into his jaw.
“At last! You’re going to pay for what you’ve done!” Ryoga shouted over the winds.
No wonder the winds aren’t
dieing, Ryoga’s never going to stop being ticked off. “Settle down, Ryoga! Or we’ll never get out of this wind!”
“Stop lying, you pervert!”
“I’ve got bigger things on my mind
right now.” Ranma twisted his way out of
Ryoga’s grasp and swam on into the maelstrom.
Ukyou watched from the side and
realized, like Ranma, why the storm hadn’t stopped. “That STUPID MORON!!!”
She quickly came to a decision.
“Once again, I have to beat him for being stupid!” She let go of the pole and was swept up into
the tornado.
Ryoga grinned his toothy grin as he
crept slowly upon his bitter rival.
Vengeance was almost in his grasp!
That was until he looked up to see a livid okonomiyaki chef holding her
battle spatula behind her back with both hands.
“BATTER UP!!!” She whipped the giant kitchen utensil around
with all of her strength. That,
combined with the forward momentum that the fanged boy had picked up in the
winds, sent the lost boy out of the gale and over the horizon.
Ukyou smiled with satisfaction. “That…was therapeutic.” Her joy was short lived as the winds died,
and she landed unceremoniously on her rear end. “Oof!”
She heard another pair of startled
landings to her side. Shayapuna was
sitting against a wall with his head spinning, Happosai was plastered against
another wall with cracks spider webbing out, and Ranma and Videl… “What do you know? He still managed to catch her.”
In the middle of the street sat
Videl, in pristine condition, atop a squashed Ranma. When she realized she was crushing him, she stood up as quickly
as she could. “Are you all right?” She asked her bruised boyfriend.
“I’ll be the happiest man in the
world if you tell me you got that scroll.”
He groaned out.
“I thought you said you’d be the
happiest man in the world if I said yes to your proposal?” She gave him a playful grin.
“Did you get the scroll?!?!?!” He would have yelled if he had the strength.
“Right here, mopey. Now turn over.” She pulled the scroll out of her bosom. She read the scroll quickly and then poked the indicated spot on
Ranma back.
The pigtailed martial artist felt
his strength return and leapt to his feet, completely healed. “Yes!”
He leapt toward the nearest wall and punched right through it. “YES!!!”
He leapt over, picked up Shayapuna and punted the blonde toward the
schoolyard. “I’m baaaaack!!!” He yelled happily. He bounced over and peeled Happosai off the wall. “Drop kick!” He dropped the old man and punted him into LEO. “Now where’s that stupid pig-boy?!” He looked around eagerly.
Ukyou stuck her thumb over her
shoulder. “I just put him over the
centerfield wall.”
Ranma turned to Videl. “Am I the
only person in the world that didn’t know about baseball?”
“Pretty much.” She looped an arm around Ranma’s. “Let’s go home and make dad mad again.”
“Wha?”
Later that night, Ranma sat on the
roof of the Satan mansion with a satisfied look on his face. Videl was already asleep in her room, but
Ranma couldn’t sleep. He was so excited
that he had learned a powerful new technique on the first try and that Ukyou
maybe held the key to surpassing Gohan.
He was almost jumping for joy.
“I’ll be more powerful than that spiky haired boy!”
“Not bad, son, but if you’re going
to have to get more training to defeat Gohan.”
Ranma spun around to see Happosai
standing on the roof behind him. “What
do you want?”
“I’m here to help you, my boy.” Happosai grinned. “I’m going to show you where you can get the same training that
Gohan has.”
“There’s no way you could teach me
that! I’ve defeated you, and he has at
least a hundred times your power!”
Ranma scoffed.
“All you have to do is follow me and
I’ll take you to the man that can show you that kind of power.”
“Why are you helping me all the
sudden?”
“Let’s just say we have a common
enemy.” Happosai smiled an evil grin.
Ranma shrugged. “Okay, we can leave in the morning. What’s this guy’s name anyways?”
“Muten Roshi.”